ASSURED BECAUSE OF YOUR LOVE OF THE FATHER (4 OF 5)
by J.D. Greear
Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 5:20-21
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Assured Because of Your Love of the Father (4 of 5)
Series: Assured - 1 John
JD Greear
1 John 2:15- 17; 5:20-21
Introduction:
1 John 2: Week #4 in this series called ASSURED... My purpose in this series has been to help you find the assurance of salvation, for a couple of reasons:
1. I am concerned about a lot of people, even here in our church, who tell me they are assured of their salvation because they prayed a prayer that somebody told them would guarantee them heaven if they did it: they went through some ritual; invited Jesus into their heart; or got baptized or confirmed or whatever... but the Bible never says that a praying a prayer saves you. There is only one way to be saved: and that is to have a genuine, personal relationship with God that begins with repentance and faith in the finished work of Christ. And I want to make sure that you understand what those things are and have actually done them.
2. The other reason I want to help you find assurance is because I know your spiritual life will never take off until you have assurance of where you stand with God. Assurance is the fuel for everything else in the Christian life.
How will you ever risk it all if you're not sure God is yours?
The established church of Martin Luther's day believed that people would only obey when they were threatened with harsh consequences for rebellion.
Martin Luther called this the ''damnable doctrine of doubt.''1 He said, yes, being afraid of judgment will produce a surface-- level adherence, he said, but underneath that thin veneer of obedience will rush a river of fear, pride, and self - Interest. The only way to develop real love for God is to have fear removed.
Love for God, he says, grows only in the assurance of the love of God.
God loves us and wants us to know. Throughout 1st John, and as you'll see today, John refers to believers as ''little children.''
I told you the first week... A good father does want his kids wondering whether ...
Series: Assured - 1 John
JD Greear
1 John 2:15- 17; 5:20-21
Introduction:
1 John 2: Week #4 in this series called ASSURED... My purpose in this series has been to help you find the assurance of salvation, for a couple of reasons:
1. I am concerned about a lot of people, even here in our church, who tell me they are assured of their salvation because they prayed a prayer that somebody told them would guarantee them heaven if they did it: they went through some ritual; invited Jesus into their heart; or got baptized or confirmed or whatever... but the Bible never says that a praying a prayer saves you. There is only one way to be saved: and that is to have a genuine, personal relationship with God that begins with repentance and faith in the finished work of Christ. And I want to make sure that you understand what those things are and have actually done them.
2. The other reason I want to help you find assurance is because I know your spiritual life will never take off until you have assurance of where you stand with God. Assurance is the fuel for everything else in the Christian life.
How will you ever risk it all if you're not sure God is yours?
The established church of Martin Luther's day believed that people would only obey when they were threatened with harsh consequences for rebellion.
Martin Luther called this the ''damnable doctrine of doubt.''1 He said, yes, being afraid of judgment will produce a surface-- level adherence, he said, but underneath that thin veneer of obedience will rush a river of fear, pride, and self - Interest. The only way to develop real love for God is to have fear removed.
Love for God, he says, grows only in the assurance of the love of God.
God loves us and wants us to know. Throughout 1st John, and as you'll see today, John refers to believers as ''little children.''
I told you the first week... A good father does want his kids wondering whether ...
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